OpenAI today said it is making GPT–5.6 Luna the default model for Free and Go ChatGPT users, giving them access to a newer, more capable model to replace GPT–5.5 Instant. The company is letting Free and Go users access unlimited text chats, with no text-based rate limits. Limits will still apply for file uploads, images, and other ChatGPT tools. There's also a new Think button coming that turns on higher reasoning.


For Plus and Pro users, GPT–5.6 Sol is more reliable with facts and gives more focused answers. OpenAI added a slider to let users select how much thought ChatGPT puts into a response, plus the company tweaked the detail the model offers for each question to prevent it from giving extra information when it's not needed.

OpenAI says GPT–5.6 Sol will avoid unnecessary formatting and will offer a "helpful correction when simply agreeing wouldn't be useful." It is also supposed to make fewer mistakes, especially when answers depend on dates, numbers, sources, rules, or assumptions. The Sol update is only for Chat, and the version for Work and Codex is unchanged.

ChatGPT's Instant and Thinking experiences have a more consistent tone and behavior so it doesn't feel like switching to a model with a different tone or style.

Plus and Pro users have access to the updated GPT–5.6 Sol and the slider in ChatGPT starting today. GPT–5.6 Luna is becoming the default model for Free and Go users this week, with unlimited text chats and the Think button coming next week.

The changes apply to the ChatGPT app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
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Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.6.1, an update to the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ operating system that came out last year. ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6.1 comes a little over a week after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.6.


Mac owners can download the software by opening the System Settings app and then navigating to the Software Updates section.

According to Apple's security support document, ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6.1 fixes a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to authenticate to Screen Sharing without valid credentials. Apple fixed the issue with improved state management.

Apple also released updates for macOS Sonoma 14.8.9 and macOS Sequoia 15.7.9 with the same fix.
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Samsung's newest line of smartphones and smartwatches launches tomorrow, making today your last chance to get pre-order discounts on these devices. While you can find some offers on Samsung's website, we're tracking better savings on Amazon this week.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

If you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 or the Fold8 Ultra you can get a $350 Amazon gift card. The new Galaxy Z Flip8 comes with a $200 Amazon gift card. These offers are for unlocked models of each smartphone and don't require trade-ins, although you can deepen your savings if you do trade in an older phone.




On Samsung.com, you'll get a $200 Samsung gift card with the pre-order of the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra, and a $150 gift card for the Galaxy Z Flip8. You can also increase savings with the addition of a smartphone trade-in.

Amazon is also offering straight cash discounts on pre-orders for the new Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2. The 40mm Galaxy Watch9 is available for $379.99 with a $50 Amazon gift card, and the 44m model is available for $409.99 with a $50 gift card.




For the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, Amazon has this model for $699.99 with a $100 Amazon gift card for pre-orders. Over on Samsung, you'll find the same smartwatch prices and Samsung gift card credits if you prefer shopping directly from the retailer.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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Apple today updated its U.S. trade-in estimates, raising values for most iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models and adding several Android phones to the list for the first time.



As first noted by 9to5Mac, some devices gained nearly 30% in estimated value compared to the last update in May.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max now tops Apple's iPhone estimates at up to $720, up from $695, and increases run all the way down the lineup to some of Apple's oldest supported models:

• iPhone 16 Pro Max: $695 to $720


• iPhone 16 Pro: $560 to $630


• iPhone 16 Plus: $465 to $485


• iPhone 16: $460 to $480


• iPhone 15 Pro Max: $490 to $530


• iPhone 15 Pro: $410 to $420


• iPhone 15 Plus: $325 to $340


• iPhone 15: $320 to $335


• iPhone 14 Pro Max: $375 to $405


• iPhone 14 Pro: $320 to $335


• iPhone 14: $225 to $235


• iPhone SE (3rd generation): $80 to $85


• iPhone 13 Pro Max: $320 to $340


• iPhone 13 Pro: $260 to $285


• iPhone 13: $195 to $205


• iPhone 13 mini: $150 to $155


• iPhone 12 Pro Max: $220 to $240


• iPhone 12 Pro: $180 to $195


• iPhone 12: $125 to $135


• iPhone 12 mini: $85 to $90


• iPhone 11 Pro Max: $150 to $160


• iPhone 11 Pro: $135 to $145


• iPhone 11: $100 to $110


• iPhone XS Max: $90 to $95


• iPhone XS: $65 to $70


• iPhone XR: $80 to $90


• iPhone 8: $35 to $40

Unchanged models include the iPhone 16e, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone X, and iPhone 8 Plus. Every current ‌iPad‌ also gained value:

• iPad Pro: $690 to $720


• iPad Air: $460 to $490


• iPad mini: $265 to $300


• iPad: $235 to $260

The Mac saw some of the largest percentage increases in today's update, led by the Mac mini's roughly 28% jump:

• MacBook Pro: $690 to $855


• MacBook Air: $520 to $580


• Mac mini: $375 to $480


• iMac: $355 to $380


• Mac Studio: $1,045 to $1,305


• Mac Pro: $2,045 to $2,195

The iMac Pro remains unchanged. Apple Watch estimates rose across most of the lineup:

• Apple Watch Series 10: $150 to $165


• Apple Watch Series 9: $130 to $135


• Apple Watch Series 8: $90 to $95


• Apple Watch Series 7: $65 to $70

Unchanged models include the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), Apple Watch Series 6, and Apple Watch SE (1st generation).

Android trade-in values were more mixed. Apple added several newer Samsung, Google, and OnePlus phones to the list for the first time, while some existing estimates fell:

• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G: $130 to $125


• Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G: $80 to $85


• Samsung Galaxy S22 5G: $80 to $85


• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: $95 (new)


• Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: $315 (new)


• Google Pixel 9 Pro: $305 (new)


• Google Pixel 9: $210 (new)


• Google Pixel 8 Pro: $165 to $155


• Google Pixel 7 Pro: $95 to $90


• Google Pixel 7: $65 to $60


• OnePlus 13: $250 (new)


• OnePlus 13R: $165 (new)

Unchanged models include the Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, Google Pixel 8, Google Pixel 8a, OnePlus 12, and OnePlus 12R.

As always, Apple's listed values are estimates, with the company noting that final offers can vary based on a device's condition and configuration, and that not all devices are eligible for trade-in credit.
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The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Murena is an umbrella name for the /e/OS operating system, associated open-source powered smartphones and cloud-based services. Murena has published /e/OS 4.1.1 which introduces new tools, including a backup option to make migration to new devices easier. "Fairphone 6 is now available on AOSP 16 Backup & Restore....

It is now August, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are just a month away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more.


Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a foldable "iPhone Ultra" in the first half of September, and the devices should be released in the second half of the month. The regular iPhone 18, a lower-end iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air will reportedly be announced around March 2027.

It has been estimated that the U.S. starting prices of the iPhone 18 Pro models could be $200 to $300 more compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models.

Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of August:

• Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that Face ID's flood illuminator will be moved under the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro models, paving the way for a smaller Dynamic Island on the devices.


• LTPO+ Displays: The next Pro models are expected to have the same overall design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, including 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras. However, the displays will reportedly use so-called LTPO+ display technology, which should contribute to longer battery life.


• Variable Aperture: The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models is rumored to have a variable aperture, which would allow users to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. This would provide greater control over depth of field. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to smartphone size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.


• A20 Pro Chip: Apple's next-generation A20 Pro chip is expected to use TSMC's first-generation 2nm process, whereas the A19 Pro chip is 3nm. With a 2nm architecture and a new packaging design, the A20 Pro chip should deliver solid year-over-year performance and power efficiency gains.


• C2 Modem: Apple's custom C1 cellular modem for 5G and LTE debuted in the iPhone 16e last year, and that was followed by a C1X chip in the iPhone Air. Apple says the C1X modem is up to twice as fast as the C1 modem, and the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone ever. The improvements should continue with Apple's third-generation C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro models.


• 5G via Satellite: With the C2 modem, the iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly support 5G via satellite for web browsing without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.


• N2 Chip: Most of the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air are equipped with an Apple-designed N1 chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Apple says the N1 chip also improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to have Apple's next-generation N2 chip, but it is not yet known what improvements would come with this upgrade.


• Dark Cherry: The special color for the iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly be Dark Cherry, alongside Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver. The existing Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue colors are expected to be discontinued.


• Simplified Camera Control: Apple is expected to simplify the Camera Control button on the iPhone 18 Pro models, by removing touch sensitivity and haptic feedback. The redesigned button will only have pressure sensitivity.


• Redesigned Rear Ceramic Shield: The rear Ceramic Shield area for MagSafe is rumored to feature a more frosted and seamless appearance on the iPhone 18 Pro models compared to the current two-tone design.


• Larger Battery (iPhone 18 Pro Max): According to alleged Chinese regulatory database filings, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have nearly a 10% larger battery compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.


• Thicker Design (iPhone 18 Pro Max): It has been rumored that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be thicker than both the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 18 Pro.

Bookmark our iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro roundups to stay up to date with more rumors.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Month With These 12 New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple and its manufacturing partners are racing to secure enough mobile DRAM to complete production of the iPhone 18 Pro and its first foldable iPhone, with around $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors reportedly sitting idle as they wait on memory chips, according to semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan.


With less than six weeks until the expected debut of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and the first foldable iPhone, widely rumored to be called the "iPhone Ultra," assemblers are working with Apple to hurry DRAM shipments, Culpan reports. Apple leans heavily on Micron for the memory but also buys from SK Hynix and Samsung. Apple and its assemblers are said to remain confident they can meet initial demand, though sources are concerned that online order wait times could stretch out while retail inventory dries up quickly.

This year's iPhone lineup is set to introduce the "A20 Pro" chip, Apple's first chip built on TSMC's N2 process, which started shipping in volume earlier this year. Production is reportedly progressing well, with good volume and yields, but completed wafers are piling up because the DRAM needed to package them has not arrived. Because packaging cannot be completed without the corresponding DRAM, Culpan estimates that TSMC is currently sitting on roughly $1 billion worth of Apple processors that cannot move to the next stage of production.

The bottleneck apparently threatens to ripple into the final stages of iPhone production. Main logic board assembly and final assembly are handled primarily by Foxconn and BYD in China, and delays in packaged processor deliveries could compress their production schedules even if Apple ultimately secures enough memory for launch.

The squeeze reflects a broader memory shortage as AI infrastructure spending eats into global DRAM supply. Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the pressure during the company's July 30 earnings call, saying Apple was "seeing some very significant constraints currently, with limited flexibility in the supply chain."

The crunch already forced Apple to raise prices and shift production priorities, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reporting this week that Apple is steering buyers toward the MacBook Pro and away from the MacBook Air.

Assemblers have reportedly been told that Apple plans to build around 200 million units combined across the iPhone 18, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, and ‌iPhone Ultra‌ over their lifetimes, with the Ultra accounting for less than 10% of that total. The rest is expected to be split evenly between the Pro and standard models. The foldable iPhone will likely cost more than $2,000, making it the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold.
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You can get up to $190 off multiple models of the M5 MacBook Air on Amazon this week, with deals focused mainly on 13-inch models this time around. These are the lowest prices we've seen on the notebooks in the wake of Apple's price hikes in June.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

In terms of 13-inch models, Amazon has the 16GB/1TB 13-inch MacBook Air for $1,419.00, down from $1,599.00. This one is available in two colors on Amazon, and it's accompanied by a discount on the 24GB/1TB model.




We aren't currently tracking any discounts on the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air models this week. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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Apple has expanded support for the Apple Account Card in the Wallet app to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Malta.

The Apple Account Card option for Wallet started rolling out in 2022, and Apple has been gradually expanding to more countries since then.

The card displays the balance associated with a user's Apple Account and can be used to make purchases in the Apple Store, online, or for apps, subscriptions, and other Apple services.
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Amazon today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $189.99, down from $249.00. This is now the best price we've seen on the AirPods Pro 3 since Prime Day, and one of the overall best prices we've tracked so far in 2026.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that's meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts.



Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

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Apple's attempt to use Chinese memory maker CXMT as leverage against Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix has backfired, with the two Korean chipmakers ending up with more pricing power rather than less, DigiTimes reports, citing South Korean and Chinese trade press.


This year, Apple has explored CXMT and fellow Chinese chipmaker YMTC as potential DRAM suppliers, and had progressed to testing CXMT's chips as memory shortages pushed up the cost of almost all Apple devices. Apple hoped a credible Chinese alternative would pressure Samsung and SK Hynix into cutting their own prices, a tactic it has used before with OLED suppliers and contract manufacturers.

CXMT is barred from EUV lithography tools under U.S. export controls, so it has to rely on older DUV equipment that, per a cost analysis cited by TechTimes, requires around 30% more wafer starts to produce the same output. That extra cost means matching Samsung and SK Hynix's prices is CXMT's floor, not a discount it's able to offer, so when Apple pushed for a lower LPDDR5X quote, CXMT turned it down and held pricing at or above the Korean suppliers' own rates.

With that threat neutralized, Apple seemingly lost its main point of leverage. Digital Daily reports that Chinese device makers Huawei and Xiaomi have already locked up most of CXMT's output through long-term, high-price contracts, so the company doesn't need Apple's business badly enough to negotiate.

The result is the opposite of what Apple wanted; without a credible cheaper alternative to point to, Samsung and SK Hynix face less pressure to lower their own prices, at the same time they're shifting production toward high-bandwidth memory for AI servers and tightening the broader DRAM supply. The setback comes after Apple's CXMT plans drew pushback, with politicians demanding Apple commit to not buying Chinese memory chips at all.
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OpenAI has asked a federal judge to dismiss Apple's lawsuit accusing the AI company of stealing trade secrets, calling the allegations "meritless."


Lawyers for OpenAI said Apple's suit twists the actions of its employees. Bloomberg reports that the filing defends Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan, who spent 24 years at Apple as VP of product design for iPhone and Apple Watch before leaving to co-found io Products with former Apple design chief Jony Ive. io merged with OpenAI in July 2025. OpenAI said Tan followed normal industry recruiting practices when interviewing Apple staff.

OpenAI also defended senior systems engineer Chang Liu, one of two former Apple employees named in the suit. Apple claims Liu accessed confidential hardware files over several weeks after finding an authentication bug. OpenAI said Liu was simply helping a former Apple colleague find information for their own work, and published excerpts of text messages it says back up that account. "Apple should not be permitted to use a baseless and pretextual lawsuit," OpenAI's lawyers wrote.

OpenAI's motion argues Apple never properly identified what information actually counts as a protectable trade secret. The company said it has no interest in Apple's confidential material because it is "building something entirely new and different from anything at Apple."

Axios reported that OpenAI's filing also disputes how Apple built its case. According to OpenAI, Apple's own security practices, including letting staff use personal iCloud accounts for work and later reviewing personal messages left on company devices, are what gave former employees leftover system access in the first place, not evidence of a coordinated theft. The 31 page filing repeatedly frames the case as Apple trying to cover for its own struggles, with variations of the word "fail" appearing nearly 50 times.

OpenAI's filing also revisited an earlier dispute over how the two sides first fell out of contact. Apple's suit had claimed OpenAI never responded to its outreach in February, and that the two sides discussed the matter with OpenAI's general counsel. OpenAI says neither is true, and that the breakdown traced back to Apple's own outside counsel confusing two OpenAI employees with similar surnames and sending a message to the wrong person.

This week's motion follows the suit Apple filed against OpenAI in July, which accuses the company of running a scheme to pull confidential product information out of job candidates and new hires. Apple and OpenAI had spent about two years partnering to build ChatGPT integration into Siri, but the relationship soured as OpenAI moved into hardware, a shift accelerated by its acquisition of Ive's startup. Apple's suit claims more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.

Apple escalated the case further this week, asking the same judge for a preliminary injunction to stop OpenAI from using any alleged trade secrets while the case continues, along with expedited discovery targeting Liu, Tan, OpenAI and its foundation, and io. Apple said its investigation has since turned up 11 more former employees who may have been witnesses or otherwise involved, beyond Liu, Tan, and previously named OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng.

Apple claims one former employee met with Liu and Peng before Peng's OpenAI interview and discussed proprietary information about unannounced products, and that another took screenshots of confidential documents relating to an unannounced Apple product before their own interview. Apple also said that after it filed its complaint, several former staffers now at OpenAI reached out about returning Apple issued devices they had kept.

OpenAI called that injunction request "based on false information and completely unnecessary" in a public blog post responding to Apple's filing. OpenAI has a court ordered deadline of August 17 to formally respond to Apple's preliminary injunction request. The judge is set to hear arguments on October 1.
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The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Sergi Perich has announced the release of Soplos Linux 2026.08, a new stable release of the project's set of desktop Linux distributions based on Debian's "Testing" branch. It ships with a number of custom applications, such as Soplos Theme Manager, Soplos Plymouth Manager, Soplos Docklike and Soplos GRUB....

In 2008 I wrote a blog post “The Problem is Too Many Remote Controls” [1] about the issues of controlling a TV and related things. It recently got some comments on Mastodon so I think it’s time for an update.

The first issue I raised was “Now it’s not uncommon to have separate remote controls for the TV, VCR, DVD player, and the Cable TV box – a total of four remote controls” which seems to have alleviated. VCRs seem to have almost entirely gone away. The VHS Wikipedia page [2] is worth reading for everyone who hasn’t seen a VCR in operation, which I expect to be more than a few readers now and an increasing number over the next 18 years. I personally don’t have Cable TV, I own a DVD player which isn’t connected to my TV because I haven’t used it for years, I don’t own a VCR, and I don’t watch free to air TV. So I have one remote control for the TV which I use for Netflix and sometimes YouTube.

When viewing YouTube on TV there are significantly more adverts and longer adverts. I presume that is because installing an ad-blocker on my TV isn’t a viable option for me and it’s a total impossibility for most users. Generally my desktop PC is a much better platform for YouTube than my TV, it has a better quality display, is more user friendly (my previous post addressed the difficulty of getting to the data source that’s desired), and doesn’t require entering search terms via a slow on-screen keyboard. Netflix on Linux is limited to 720p at low bitrate which is obviously of low visual quality while on the TV it’s in 4K. I have Netflix so I use that only on the TV.

In my previous post I wrote a thought experiment on how to use a cheap laptop ($500 at the time – equivalent to $777 in 2025 money according to the Reserve Bank of Australia) to control a $5000 TV ($7770 in 2025 money). Now you can buy a new 65″ 4K TV for under $800 and a new laptop capable of 4K output for under $400 so the options are very different. For a $800 TV the manufacturer isn’t going to develop a remote control interface and Google (who develops the software the TVs run) won’t do it because it could reduce their advertising revenue. But a typical home user could setup a cheap laptop connected to their TV via HDMI providing a familiar and efficient user interface for themselves and visitors. For a Windows laptop 4K Netflix should work and for a Linux laptop the options of a laptop for everything apart from Netflix and the TV for Netflix are bearable, two controls are worse than one but better than the 3+ that used to be common.

In my previous post I raised the issue that “it’s often the case that you don’t want to stop watching one show while trying to find another”. This is still an unsolved problem and is not addressed in modern software. I am not aware of a Linux music player that supports such functionality and this would be much easier for a music player than for a video player where the screen would have to be shared between the interface for finding the next thing to play and the space for playing the end of the current one. Maybe I should file a bunch of wishlist bugs against music players asking for this.

I suggested that “cable modem” and “cable TV box” could be integrated into a single device. That has not happened, in fact it’s got worse. A relative who has Foxtel has a cable modem, a cable TV box, and a Wifi AP with VOIP to provide landline phone service and to make it more exciting the latter two both have bugs that require a periodic hardware reset to fix. Hopefully cable TV will go away in the next 18 years.

Regular PCs have become less noisy in recent years. I am currently using a HP Z640 to write this post and I have HP Z840 and HP Z4G4 systems behind me running as servers and the background noise is still very low. The allegedly 8K TV [3] that I have in my lounge room has cooling fans that make more noise than those three high-end HP computers combined. Using a quiet PC like one of those HP systems to drive a TV is a very viable option and I did just that for a couple of years. Kogan has currently got a selection of refurbished Lenovo ThinkStation systems on sale for under $400, they are quiet and would do well for this, it’s also nice that Kogan is selling systems with ECC RAM at home user prices.

TV does seem to be going away. YouTube and streaming services seem to get more watching time and many people don’t use TV at all.

Since my previous post the number of streaming services has increased so torrenting offers increasing benefits as no-one wants to subscribe to 6+ services. For anyone who wants to get all the content that interests them while paying the user interface situation is much worse now than it used to be in 2008.

If you use KDE on a PC then the kconnect program allows a phone to be used to remotely control some aspects of a PC and has a good interface for pause/resume of a video and seeking 10 seconds forwards/backwards. The interface for controlling volume is hard to get to and doesn’t work on my installation. If you want to use a keyboard to start something playing and then a phone for pause control then kdeconnect is a decent option. A comment on my previous post by Michael Croes raised the issue of remote control which is now a solvable problem. Justin also wrote a comment suggesting a Nokia N800 as a remote.

Jason suggested a programmable remote, which would be a good option for a power user and a viable option for someone setting things up for their grandparents. But the amount of pain is greater than I’m interested in as lounge room TV isn’t an important thing to me. It may appeal to more people than having a dedicated lounge room PC though.

• [1] https://etbe.coker.com.au/2008/09/15/the-problem-is-too-many-remote-controls/
• [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS
• [3] https://etbe.coker.com.au/2025/11/25/edid-and-my-8k-tv/

Meta today launched Muse Code, a terminal coding agent available for macOS and Linux. Muse Code is in beta, and it is powered by Muse Spark 1.2, ‌Meta‌'s newest model.


‌Meta‌ CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Muse Code can accomplish complete software engineering tasks across large repos. It can plan out changes, write code, and validate results using multiple persistent subagents.

Muse Code is ‌Meta‌'s equivalent of OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code, and it is ‌Meta‌'s first major push into agentic coding.

There are several default skills available, such as /plan for turning a task into an approval-gated plan, /grill for stress testing a plan, and /goal for working toward the successful completion of an objective. Muse Code maintains an append-only local event log of every model call, tool run, approval, and edit, so it can resume where it stopped if it crashes.

Muse Code can be used through the Mac's terminal after a one-command install, and there is no dedicated app available. The model is priced at $1.25 for 1 million input tokens and $4.25 for 1 million output tokens, but ‌Meta‌ is offering a discount for users who give the company permission to use their prompts and completions to train future AI models.

With the Contributor tier enabled for ‌Meta‌ model training, Muse Spark 1.2 is priced at $0.10 for 1 million input tokens and $0.20 for 1 million output tokens. The Standard tier costs more and does not let ‌Meta‌ use prompts to train its models.

The more affordable Contributor tier is rate limited at 60 requests per minute and 2,100,000 tokens per minute, while the Standard tier allows for 3,000 requests per minute and 4,000,000 tokens per minute.
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Disney could introduce an ad-supported Disney+ free tier in the future, according to comments Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro made during the company's latest earnings call (via The Wrap).


D'Amaro said Disney is considering a free tier that could allow it to reach people unwilling to pay for a subscription, but no launch plans were shared.

First, we see it as a way to expand our reach to a customer segment that's more price-sensitive. Expanding our reach is, as we've talked about before, one of our strategic priorities. Second, unlike a lot of our AVOD competitors, we're fairly well sold, meaning more inventory would actually help us accelerate our ad revenue growth. And then finally, as you mentioned in your question, a free offering could help us drive top-of-funnel Disney+ subscriber growth. So nothing specific to announce today, but definitely something that we're considering.

Disney+ competitors like Apple TV and Netflix don't have a completely free tier, but services like Tubi and The Roku Channel offer free content, as does YouTube. Disney+ has approximately 130 million global subscribers and is one of the most-watched streaming services in the United States.

Disney also signed a deal with TikTok, which will see TikTok creators use characters and scenes from Disney movies and shows for short-form videos. The videos will be available on TikTok and on the Disney+ Verts section for vertical video.
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SpaceX shared plans to create a cellular service during its first earnings call after its IPO, reports Reuters. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the company will "build out terrestrial" with the spectrum that it acquired from EchoStar.


She added that SpaceX intends to make Starlink a "true mobile service" that will win "quite a few" customers from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Shotwell declined to discuss the costs involved in the endeavor and said SpaceX had "great and new ideas" on how to build a mobile service, such as a large number of lower-cost base stations paired with Starlink dishes instead of cell towers.

SpaceX agreed to pay $19.6 billion to acquire 65 MHz of wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar in 2025. The spectrum will allow SpaceX to expand its direct-to-cell Starlink satellite service to include ground-based infrastructure.

Analysts told Reuters that without an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) agreement with a major carrier, it would be extremely difficult for Starlink to compete with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. 65 MHz is tiny compared to the spectrum owned by the big U.S. mobile operators, and they're unlikely to lease capacity to a competitor.

SpaceX plans to launch its next-generation Starlink Mobile satellites in 2027, and upgraded service that's "100 times better" than current direct-to-cell service is targeted for the end of that year. Shares of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon fell 2 to 4 percent following the SpaceX earnings call.

SpaceX already has a partnership with T-Mobile to power T-Mobile's T-Satellite feature that offers direct-to-cell satellite connectivity to customers.
This article, "SpaceX Plans Starlink Mobile Service to Compete With Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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